In a significant food safety scandal, Ho Chi Minh City police announced the discovery of over 10,000 tons of pork that had been fattened using the banned substance Salbutamol. This operation, led by Nguyễn Văn Hiệu and eight accomplices, allegedly involved mixing Salbutamol into pig feed to enhance growth and subsequently selling the tainted meat in the market.

On October 5, the Economic Police Department (PC03) of Ho Chi Minh City reported the arrest of Hiệu, 41, along with eight others, for violating food safety regulations, trading in banned goods, and engaging in bribery. Investigations revealed that since January 2026, the group purchased pigs weighing approximately 100-110 kg and brought them to fattening farms. Within a month, the pigs were fed a diet laced with Salbutamol, which is prohibited in livestock farming, to increase their weight to 130-140 kg.

In late July, police, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Environment, intercepted three trucks carrying 280 pigs belonging to Hiệu and Phạm Văn Hùng. Tests confirmed that all the pigs were positive for Salbutamol, with 80 also testing positive for African swine fever virus. Following these findings, authorities conducted urgent inspections at 14 locations, including farms and residences of those involved in Đồng Nai province. At seven sites, they discovered 3,909 pigs, weighing over 500 tons, that tested positive for Salbutamol, leading to their destruction.

According to authorities, Nguyễn Thị Trinh Nữ was the supplier of Salbutamol to these farms. In mid-2025, Nữ introduced a product sourced from Thailand and Cambodia, marketed as enhancing the appearance and meat quality of pigs, priced at approximately 375,000 VND per kg. Farmers reportedly mixed 100 grams of Salbutamol with about 300 kg of feed for every 100 pigs, using around 3 kg of the substance per batch. To evade detection, farmers ceased using Salbutamol about ten days before selling the pigs and administered liver detoxifying medications instead.

During the investigation, authorities seized over 1,000 kg of Salbutamol, sufficient to mix with more than 3,000 tons of animal feed. The operation allegedly received assistance from Võ Quốc Sơn, a veterinary inspector who accepted bribes from Hiệu to issue transport permits without conducting actual inspections.

From January 2026, this network is believed to have distributed over 10,000 tons of pork treated with the banned substance, valued at over 600 billion VND, resulting in significant profits for the perpetrators. Authorities have urged the public to refrain from purchasing pork of unclear origin and warned livestock farms against using banned substances.

Salbutamol, primarily used to treat respiratory diseases, is prohibited in livestock due to health risks associated with its residues in meat, including rapid heartbeat, tremors, headaches, hypertension, arrhythmias, and hypokalemia, particularly affecting individuals with cardiovascular conditions. The use of Salbutamol in pig feed not only violates farming regulations but also poses direct health risks to consumers.